Sunday, August 28, 2011

How many of you are as addicted to Pinterest as I am? If you don't know what Pinterest is go straight to http://pinterest.com/about/ to learn all about it. Do not pass go, do not collect two hundred dollars, go straight to Pinterest. It might well be the most brilliant addition to the internet in years. Pinterest is a wonderful world of make-believe where you can share photos of things you love, ideas, and recipes and at the same time discover wonderful things that other "Pinners" have posted. I have found great recipes, craft tutorials, home decor ideas, etc. in just the few weeks that I have had an account. The great thing is that with Pinterest you can save all of those things that you find on other boards to your board. That's called "repinning". Rather than saving each item to your computer files your personal boards become your saved files. Pinterest is far better than I have described. If you would like an example feel free to check out my boards at:http://pinterest.com/lisakenn/

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

I ran across this on the I Heart Naptime and Chocolate Sundaes blog today. I'm well past needing it for my daughters but I can always hope for grandchildren. I wish I had them for the traditional "back to school" morning pictures that my kids started to hate by fifth grade. I still love the sour faces of disgust the last few years of pictures display.

Back to school printable

Hello again! This month’s printable was inspired by those ever popular “first day of school pictures.” This is my little mans first time going to school (Preschool counts right?), and I wanted a way to look back at these pictures and instantly know what grade he was in.So, I created these back to school printable posters for my kids (and yours) to hold as they advance through school.

Monday, July 11, 2011

I'm sure by now that all of you have heard of the cheating scandal in the Atlanta Public School System. I have my own opinions about what might have created an atmosphere where cheating was considered acceptable but much prefer to share what great things are happening in public schools all across Georgia and the rest of the United States.
I consider my two daughters to be amazing educators. As their mom I can brag that they were each honored as Teacher of the Year at their schools within the first four years of their teaching careers. They work an inordinate number of hours after the school day ends to be sure that each of their students not only understands a new skill but that they also know how that skill might be used to accomplish other tasks. They are teaching children to think by using the information that they have learned. How many teachers do you remember who did that for you? I can remember every single teacher who helped me understand the importance of learning.

My amazing daughter, Betsey, and my very tall and proud husband.

Sorry, Emily, I don't have a photo of your classroom.

There are so many unsung heroes among the teaching profession that I want to share with you an article written by one of those very people. I feel very fortunate to have worked at the same school as the author, Lyssa Sadahevan, for two years. Her abilities to engage students in learning, exploring, and creating are what we would wish for all our children in every grade. Please read Lyssa's article at http://www.parenting.com/blogs/mom-congress/lyssa-sahadevan/working-georgia-state-school-team and then check out her blog http://mymommyreads.blogspot.com/ . If Lyssa suggests a book or an activity I can guarantee you that "It's a Good Thing."

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

I have never considered myself to be a selfish person. At times I have been accused of being overly generous. For that reason I have surprised myself by not wanting to share with you my new secret garden. It is the State of Maine and in my mind the most glorious place in the world to visit when the sweltering heat of the south is just about to bring you down. We arrived to temperatures in the low 50s the week before Memorial Day. To most people that would be terribly cold especially when accompanied by an ocean breeze. I found it to be exhilerating. Everything in Maine was so different from anything I had ever experienced. The rocky shores created imaginary rock sea creatures, the light rain (almost like England) allowed the grass to be the greenest I had ever seen, the forests provided sanctuary for animals that can not live in the south, and the people, oh the citizens of Maine are so kind and helpful! The reason I have postponed sharing the photos and information for so long is that by visiting during the low season we essentially had Maine to ourselves. We never waited for a table at a restaurant, there were no traffic jams, the beaches were empty except for us, and the shop owners were pleased to take our money for the numerous souvenirs we purchased.

We saw the claw of a twenty-six pound lobster that had been caught in Massachusetts. A lobster that weighs three pounds is estimated to be 15 - 20 years old. That makes a twenty-six pound lobster to be .......over one hundred years old! I didn't feel quite so badly about eating fresh lobster when I learned that lobsters do not feel pain as we do. They have no cerebral cortex, which is the area of our brains that gives us the sensation of pain. Lobsters also have no vocal cords, the hissing sound that you sometimes hear when they are cooked is the sound of air escaping from their shells.

We laughed at the directional signs.

We were enthralled by the beauty of the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens and our second spring season of 2011. All the bulbs were blooming and the droplets of moisture from the earlier rain created the most stunning photographs. www.mainegardens.org/

We watched lobstermen bring in the fruits of their labor to the lobster dock where we were eating the freshest lobster available. When they say fresh off the boat they're not kidding.

We had hoped to see puffins on a boat trip to a protected island sanctuary where the puffins live but rough seas prevented that part of our adventure.
We ventured on to the northwestern mountains of Maine around Moosehead Lake. You'll soon see why it might be called Moosehead Lake. The town we visited was Greenville, Maine. It was the only truly sunny day of the eight that we were in Maine. The colors of such carefully protected land and water are beyond discription. The lake water was so clear that I would not have thought twice about dipping a cup in it and drinking it.

And then we accomplished exactly what we had come to this part of the state to do - WE SAW MOOSE!!!!!

Two males were eating from a salt lick at the local DOT. It seems they like the remains of the many tons of salt that are needed to keep snowy roads passable. Soon there will be plants enough in the lake for them to go closer to the shore to eat more nutritiously and cool off should the weather become too warm.

On our mountain safari we saw one moose (gender not identifiable) standing among the trees eating whatever green he might find.

We have only two regrets concerning our trip:

1. I discovered the best lobster roll ever the night before we were leaving.

2. We didn't get to stay as long as we would have liked.

Our last stop was in Kennebunkport. We stayed at a spectacular bed and breakfast called The Maine Street Inn. www.mainestreetinn.com Check the website to see the magnificently decorated rooms and learn more about the history of the house.

We didn't see former President Bush but we did see the family estate on Ocean Ave. We could have touched the fence protecting the home from the beachcombers (us) but were afraid it might be electric. It's such a problem when you're electrocuted far from home that we chose not to take a chance. While the weather in the late spring, summer, and early fall are exactly to my liking when I learned that Kennebunkport had received 10 (yes, ten!) feet of snow this past winter I knew that we would be vacationing elsewhere in the winter.

I hope that you are able to one day enjoy the splendor of Maine just as we did. Do me a favor though, please, don't tell anyone about this glorious place. We'll keep it our little blog secret!

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Many thanks to All Things Paper for sharing this amazing artist's work! Be sure to check out her blog at http://www.allthingspaper.netI am forever amazed by her talent and that of the artists she shares on her blog.

Photos of magnificent wildlife and and nature scenes created by award-winning Canadian paper sculptor, Calvin Nicholls, have been sweeping the internet in recent days. Taking the risk that you've already been introduced to his work, it's simply too extraordinary to not be showcased here as well. For this Fab 90 degree Friday, I'm going with polar bears on the icy tundra.

The majority of Calvin's work is white on white, which leads one to better appreciate the astoundingly realistic fur and feathers via the play of light and shadows.

He begins his sculptures with a drawn pattern, traces each component of the scene, transfers these to sculpture paper, and then cuts each one with a scalpel or X-acto knife on a cutting mat. Calvin uses very small amounts of glue to assemble the figure piece by piece, likening the process to shingling a roof.

Calvin offers something that sounds ideal for you serious paper cutters ... schedule a Skype session with him to discuss materials, techniques, and tools of the trade. There's no better way to learn than a private lesson with a master in the field.

Really... take a moment to visit Calvin's website. I guarantee you'll be amazed by his awe-inspiring paper sculptures.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Due to my lack of knowledge, otherwise known as ignorance, of the world of blogging I find the above cartoon very appropriate. Wouldn't it be interesting to know what the great writers in history might provide the world of literature via their own blogs? My guess is that they would be overwhelmed by the possibilities just as I am. Of course, they would figure out all of the intricacies of the blogging world far faster than have I.

After months of searching I have learned how to add an email subscription option to Poppylovesaparty.blogspot.com. To most people this would seem a simple task. To me, a person whose only true computer education was three days in a computer science class in 1975, the possibilities might as well be presented in Martian language.

Oh yeah, the three days in computer science was shear misery. I dropped the class, added Art History and remember only that the computer was in an entirely different room than the classroom due to the size of the computer. I suppose I should have paid closer attention to the professor for those three days. I'm sure every bit of what was taught would be pertinent to today's computers. Or not! My art history knowledge does help me answer the occasional Jeopardy question. Obviously, I made a wise decision in my drop/add choice.

If you would prefer to receive up to date blog notices via email please enter your email address in the appropriate space on the blog page.

Thanks for your interest in Poppy Loves A Party. Each of you has helped me learn something new today.

Monday, May 2, 2011

For more than 25 years I have used Fimo clay to create detailed jewelry and Christmas ornaments. Unfortunately, being a huge procrastinator, I found that for eight months of the year I was not in the mood for making holiday items. I remembered a customer from years ago who had told me that she framed my work so that she could enjoy it year round. At my age it's hard to remember my name much less something I was told years ago. That dim lightbulb in my head had a power surge and that memory gave me the inspiration to try something new. I would love to hear your thoughts on the new framed miniature art sculptures. I will be adding more on my Etsy shop soon but I wanted to give you guys a little preview. Thanks for looking.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

If you are unfamiliar with I Share this is the perfect time to check it out. Free spring and Easter printables and craft ideas. I love when I get an I Share email! It means I'll be on the computer for a while downloading all kinds of great freebies. Be sure to sign up for the emails.

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About Me

A polymer clay artist for 26 years rheumatoid arthritis and the economy sunk my once successful business. I worked as a library assistant in an elementary school but was laid off due to budget cuts. Stupid economy! So it's back to what I love, creating, learning, and making people happy. Yay, I can sleep as late as I want to again.